Arsenal under-18s manager Jack Wilshere has now heaped praise on one Hale End academy starlet who is in blistering form.
Chido Obi has once again caught the eye at youth level for Arsenal.
The 16-year-old striker netted an astonishing seven goals himself as Arsenal under-18s thrashed Norwich City under-18s 9-0 on Saturday.
With this record-breaking display for the Arsenal youth side, Chido Obi provided yet another glimpse of what fans of the North London club will be hoping to see from the teenager at first-team level at some point in the future.
Chido Obi continues to shine for Arsenal
Obi still has a long way to go before he will be seriously considered for a role in Mikel Arteta’s first-team set up, but his talent and potential are both obvious. He has been sensational throughout this season, and has produced a number of eye-catching displays.
Earlier this season, Obi stunned pundits as he scored 10 goals in a single game against Liverpool. He also recently broke another record with a five goal haul.
The future certainly looks bright for the Denmark under-17 International. A pathway to the first-team also exists for him at the Emirates Stadium. Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, and Reiss Nelson all progressed through the club’s academy system and are now part of Arteta’s senior group. Ethan Nwaneri now looks set to make that leap, too. Obi will see these success stories and will believe that future opportunities to feature at that level will come his way if he continues to impress.
Jack Wilshere heaps praise on Chido Obi who will be targeting Arsenal opportunity in pre-season
Jack Wilshere has certainly been impressed by Obi. As quoted by the club’s official website after the demolition of Norwich City, the former midfielder said “it helps when you have a goalscorer like Chido who is on fire at the moment, and everything he touches seems to go in.
“He’s worked so hard over the last couple of years, especially since we’ve had him at Sobha Realty Training Centre over the last six weeks, and he’s getting his rewards for that hard work. But, we’ve also got to give massive credit to the team for supplying him.”
Obi may well now be in line to be handed his first opportunity to impress for the first-team during pre-season as the Arsenal squad undertake their annual tour. Plenty of the Gunners’ supporters will be hoping that Obi is taken along on that trip.
READ MORE: Arsenal pre-season tour 2024: Destination, fixtures, how to watch and more
